Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Review: Falling for You by Heather Thurmeier

Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.

After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.

Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.

But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.

This is the first book in the Reality TV Trilogy and the first book I’ve read by Heather Thurmeier. I must admit that I have mixed feelings regarding this book. I liked it up until the end.

I get Evan and I completely adore him. Cassidy is a toss up. Sometimes I like her and feel for her, other times, I can’t stand her and just wish she would go away. But she’s the heroine of the book so she can’t do that. Brad, Cassidy’s ex-boyfriend is an ALL around jerk, to put it mildly.

Cassidy has no intention on appearing on a reality tv dating show. Her older sister Keira filled out all the paperwork and initially submitted it without Cassidy knowing about it. After Cassidy found out of course, she was furious, but once she got accepted to appear on the show, she looked at it as her chance to have an adventure.

Cassidy and Evan are the first to meet and the attraction is immediate. Cassidy thinks that if the cameraman is that hot, the bachelor has to be off the charts. Evan for his part is attracted to Cassidy, but knows that he is bound by his work contract that he can not engage in any type of relationship with her. Evan is strictly there to work and make money.

When Cassidy suddenly comes face to face with Brad during her first challenge, you would think that she would have the good sense to say, “okay this can’t happen” and ask to leave the show. But for whatever unimaginable reason, she doesn’t.

One of the things I love about Cassidy is that she’s a klutz. I’m not laughing at her, I’m laughing with her. Okay, so she’s not really laughing because she’s getting embarrassed on national tv, but she handles it really well. Cassidy’s klutziness is also one of the reasons Evan falls for her even though doing so goes against his personal wishes and professional obligations. While their chemistry is hot, they have to keep their attraction and relationship a secret so that they don’t get stuck with a crazy lawsuit for breaching their contracts with show.

What I didn’t like about the book was the way their secret relationship came out. I think it could have come out a little better than it did. I also didn’t care for the Epilogue. While it sets up the next book in the series, I wish it would have told more of the story of what happened to Cassidy and Evan after the show was over.

Rating: 4 (My issues with the book weren’t big enough to say I only liked it.)